There was a time, not too long ago, when if one were to suggest in a post on this blog that the Mets financial situation was dire, as opposed to merely being a troublesome, short-term cash flow annoyance, and that the Wilpons’ hold on the team was in serious jeopardy, as opposed to merely being subject to some moderate restructuring, that:

(a) a certain commenter who seems overly-invested in defending the Wilpons for someone not in their employ would show up here and claim that you were a fubulist; and

(b) the writer of such a post would receive emails from various people in official capacities claiming that he was being unduly harsh in his assessments with respect to the state of the Mets.

The Mets are “bleeding cash” and could lose as much as $70 million this year, Fred Wilpon said in a story that will appear in this week’s Sports Illustrated. The embattled Mets owner told the magazine he fears the $1 billion clawback lawsuit filed by Irving Picard, the trustee who represents Ponzi scheme artist Bernie Madoff’s victims, could cost him ownership of the team if Picard prevails.

It is unknown whether, in the Sports Illustrated article, Wilpon once again loses the thread of the interview and slams Johan Santana or Francisco Rodriguez.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports Thursday that the Orioles “are said to have begun fielding calls of interest” on superstar Manny Machado and “are close to the point of seriously weighing whether to trade him.”

You’d think it would be a no-brainer for the last-place O’s to flip Machado — an impending free agent — for prospects, but Heyman notes there is “still a question whether or not longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos” will give the go-ahead. One person familiar with the situation put it a “50-50” likelihood. Another suggested that it would take a massive return, which, sure.

Machado entered play Thursday with a sensational .328/.405/.635 batting line, 15 home runs, and an MLB-leading 43 RBI in 49 games. It’d be a real shock if he’s still wearing an O’s uniform by the end of July.

Heyman reported previously that at least nine teams made aggressive plays for Machado this winter, including the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Indians, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, and Cardinals. A whole lot of those teams still make sense here in late May — maybe all of them except the White Sox.